The 2023 regular-season finale at Daytona saw 16 drivers break through the mold to enter the coveted playoffs. In an extremely tight contest at the superspeedway, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher made it to the checkered flag in pole position. While many drivers raced under the “must-win” condition, none managed to secure the flag and ended up getting knocked out of the competition. One among them was 31-year-old Corey LaJoie. Driving the number #7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, the Carolina native was vying for his first Cup Series win.

Appearing on his podcast, “Stacking Pennies with Corey LaJoie,” the driver disclosed how he was able to push through the track at Daytona and secure his 7th top-10 finish, exactly when it seemed like all hope was lost.

The final lap that secured a hard-earned top-10 finish

Corey LaJoie went into Daytona with pretty much the same straightforward goal as the likes of Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez: win. Only a win could have propelled him into the next level of contention. For most of the first half, he cruised far behind the lead draft. Fortunately making it through the 2nd stage crash involving Ryan Blaney that collected 16 cars, he began edging towards the front.

While most expected that LaJoie would be one of the drivers making the most noise on the track, what turned out was a bit different. He broke into the top 20 in the last stage and once more, stars were aligned in his favor as he managed to stay clear of the terrifying Ryan Preece accident. Reaching the final lap of the race unharmed, Corey was able to finish the race at P10.

Reliving the final lap of the race on his podcast, he revealed the thrilling manner in which the finish came out to be. Mentioning the thoughts that ran in his head as he was between turn 3 and 4, he said, “I’m like, ah, s*cks! We’re gonna finish you know 15th, 16th. And the #34 was coming with a run in the middle and I pulled up in front of it. And it was like the thing had freaking nitrous oxide. And out of turn four I just kept it wide open up through the middle. […] And the seas kind of parted and I passed like five guys in the span of like 200 yards.”

“I looked at the pilot and I was like, ‘Hell yeah! That’s top 10,'” he exclaimed. 

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Where do Corey LaJoie and Spire Motorsports stand after Daytona?

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As Corey finished at P10, his teammate Ty Dillon who raced under similar conditions did not fare much better. Running out of fuel during the 2nd stage break, he had to recover and keep himself in the race. He ended up finishing just behind Corey at P11. For Spire Motorsports, this means that it will not be fielding any drivers in the playoffs. Founded in 2018 from the ashes of the now-defunct Furniture Row Racing, the young team has been turning quite a few heads with the performances of its drivers. Despite not securing a playoff spot, the finishes of LaJoie and Dillon are a step forward for the team.

Adding strength to its future prospects is the recent multi-year extension that Corey signed. Racing with the team since 2021, the driver had chosen to stay back despite having other options on his table. Speaking of his decision, he’d mentioned that he was committed to building a competitive team at Spire. He was reported by AP News as saying, “We will continue stacking pennies and deliver for our great partners on and off the track. We’re even more eager to bring our loyal fans on the journey with us.” Setting ambitious goals for himself, the heights to which the skilled driver will take his team will be answered with time. 

Read More: Corey LaJoie Reveals His Secret to Team Penske Members After Career’s Best Finish at Watkins Glen